October 22nd-24th: Day 3, 4, & 5 in Italy

These past 3 days have been a very memorable experience! They were filled with a lot of driving time through Tuscany, which is never a bad thing.  Volpaia (where we’re staying) is located about an hour away from Florence. Yet, all around Volpaia are these little towns such as Greve, Panzano, and Radda Chianti.  All of these towns are about 20-30 minutes from each other spread all throughout Tuscany. 

Our beautiful drive

 The story behind the place we are staying at is incredibly interesting as a matter of fact.  Volpaia was built in 1172 during a dispute between Florence and Siena.  It has some interesting history behind it, however what it has become now is just as interesting.  A woman whose name cannot be pronounced by anyone who is not Italian, was given the huge property of Volpaia as a wedding gift from her Father when she was 20 years old.  He parents own(ed) a publishing company in Florence which was given to their son as a gift.  So, naturally as a wedding gift, she was given a town.  In a course of about 50 years she has created an incredible olive oil and wine distributor with her property, growing and producing it all on Volpaia’s land.  

A few other things we have done since Wednesday is re-visiting the statue of David.  By re-visit I have seen it once before, although it was just as incredible this time as it was the first. 

 Along with that we also visited the breathtakingly beautiful Duomo Church in Florence. Thursday afternoon my family and I enjoyed a terrific meal at Da Delfinos located right across from a hunting house and in the midst of an olive farm.  

Sadly almost no olive oil will be produced from Italy this year due to a bug infestation in almost all of the olives all throughout Italy.  What this came from is too much rain.  To much rain brought out bugs which chewed their way into an abundance of the olives.  Yet, the bug itself is not what ruined the olives, it’s the hole that the bugs created when going into the olive.  The hole created cause moister to enter the olives causing a acidic taste in all of the olives, therefore, they cannot be used to make olive oil.  

It is sad really, to think about all of the businesses over here and how much money they will lose just in one year.  It is safe to say that my family and I are enjoying our time in Italy! 

-Emma